Technical consultation on the WHO Antimicrobial Resistance Diagnostic Initiative

The WHO AMR Division hosted a technical consultation in Geneva, Switzerland, from 5 – 7 July 2023. This gathering brought together 52 participants from 18 countries, including representatives from international health organizations, WHO collaborating centres on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), academia, and donor organizations.

The consultation aimed to provide recommendations for developing a strategic and operational framework to enhance global bacteriology and mycology diagnostic capacity, the first building block of the WHO AMR Diagnostic Initiative.

The event featured panel discussions and presentations focused on the goals of the strategic and operational framework. Successful activities within bacteriology and mycology diagnostic systems from various regions were showcased to stimulate discussion. Participants then broke into working groups to explore and provide recommendations on strategic goals, objectives, key activities, and implementation considerations needed to strengthen bacteriology and mycology diagnostic services and laboratory systems.